Will they throw cartoon bombs? JIHAD!!! voices of reason

Amid the turmoil of burnings and threats of violence by Islamofascist whack jobs, there are Muslim who have spoken eloquently and rationally.

From the Free Muslims Coalition (H/T TROP) we have this:

The Free Muslims Coalition condemns the reaction of American Muslim Organizations and Muslim governments to the unfavorable depiction of Prophet Mohammad in European News papers.

[...]

The response by Muslims to the cartoons is absolutely pathetic and depressing but revealing. The reason Muslims are responding with anger and threats of violence is because most Muslims live in countries where democracy and freedom of speech are alien concepts.

Moreover, the Muslim world suffers from a lack of visionary leadership. In this particular case, when Muslim leaders, including American Muslim leaders, realized that Muslims are furious they joined the chorus of fury rather than explain to their people that they must be reasonable and that freedom of speech is healthy even if it is insulting. What is even more disgusting is that most American Muslim organizations, who should know better, have joined the chorus of instigators rather than taking this opportunity to teach their members about the importance of freedom of speech and tolerance.

Be sure to read it all. If only media outlets would give them a megaphone. Check out their site and their blog. Hopefully we will hear more from them in the future.

Mudville Gazette is covering the crisis in-depth here and includes this:

In Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai said: "As much as we condemn this, we must have, as Muslims, the courage to forgive and to not make an issue of dispute between religions or cultures."

The Brussels Journal has the story of a Jihad Momani and his views on the matter.

“The frenzied reactions to the publication of the cartoons is out of all proportions and does the Muslim cause more harm than good. [ ] I could have published the editorial without the three illustrations, but I chose not to do so. Look, it has been five months since the cartoons were published in Denmark. [ ] I wanted to show the people why they were so furiously protesting in the streets, as these are only a few silly pictures. I thought it might defuse the situation a bit if people saw the actual cartoons.”

[...]

“These pictures are really insulting to us. I myself was not happy when I saw them [ ] But to react to them in such an extreme way is a big mistake and can be as foolish. That is what I wanted to make clear.”

The words of the FMC, Karzai and Jihad Momani are reasonable and much needed, but will they be heard over the extremists and those who wish to murder, or who have murdered already and wish to taste blood once again? Unfortunately Jihad Momani  has begun to pay the price for daring to speak against this evil and violence. The Brussels Journal story is actually covering his dismissal and arrest.

Meanwhile, Jihad Momani, the only Arab editor who had the courage to publish some of the Muhammad cartoons, has been arrested by the Jordanian authorities. Last Thursday Mr Momani’s paper, al-Shihan, published three of the cartoons, including the one of Muhammad with a bomb in his turban. The cartoons were accompanied by an editorial in which Mr Momani wrote that suicide bombers and terrorists slashing throats of hostages in front of cameras cause much more harm to Islam than these drawings. Before the day was over Mr Momani had been sacked, while all remaining copies of the paper were destroyed by the publisher, Arab Printing Company.

Mr Momani was forced to offer public apologies. “I ask Allah’s forgiveness and express my apologies for the serious mistake that I made in Shihan. It was a mistake that happened unintentionally and was caused by my enthusiasm to defend our faith,” he said.

[...]

“I cannot assess what severe penalties await me.”

It would seem that with one being jailed, and various media outlets caving in, that the odds are against these voices commanding the attention of those most offended. Even so, the crisis, like those before, may die down; but it is too early to hope for that with any certainty. There is a level of non-rationality at work here as well as manipulation by despots to deflect attention from their own crimes against their people and most disturbing, an actual desire for violence that does not respond to calls for moderation.

It may be, that perhaps, this will still be the wake-up call for many. They will finally see that the Islamofascists as a pretext to kill infidels and non-extremist Muslims will use anything. You don't need to overthrow their dictators and dare to give other Muslims and even non-Muslims a chance for freedom or even be Jewish; all you need is an offensive cartoon. If the cartoon isn't offensive enough, some will be enterprising enough to make up a few that are even worse.

Some have said this shows we are in a war of civilization against civilization. No, the extremists care only for oppression and death. This is civilization against psychotic barbarism, freedom to them is freedom to kill and slaughter the infidel. We shrink back at our own expense. For them, peace is only at our surrender.

Previous posts:

Will they throw cartoon bombs? JIHAD!!! Understanding
Will they throw cartoon bombs? JIHAD!!! continues
Will they throw cartoon bombs? Jihad!!! continued
Will they throw cartoon bombs? Jihad!!!

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